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2012 Community Survey

News Release Date:

Oct 25 2012

2012 Community Survey Results Show Strong Library Support

Bloomington, Ind.—Monroe County Public Library conducted a community survey in August to help determine future service priorities for the 2013-15 Strategic Plan. The results show high use of library facilities and website, and strong satisfaction with the knowledge and courteousness of library staff, book collections, and maintenance of facilities. Eighty-eight percent of respondents said the library was important to their household, and 97% said the library was important to the future of Monroe County.

The four top roles that respondents want the library to emphasize are: literacy and education of children and adults; resources for reading, viewing, and listening pleasure; serving as a source of free information; and providing quiet places for reading and individual study.

New to the survey was a section on use of e-readers. Fifty percent of respondents either own or plan to purchase an e-reader—much higher than the national average.

Across the board, satisfaction with library services improved between 2008 and 2012, with largest improvements in music CDs, movies for adults, audiobooks, public computing, and even parking—all areas in which the library has concentrated efforts. The area of least satisfaction and the top barrier to use of the library is still parking at the Main Library.

See our overview of survey results. When the library receives cross-tabs, we will be able to analyze the survey data by demographic factors, including gender, age, income, and education level, and to compare results more fully with the last community survey, conducted in 2008.

ETC Institute administered the survey, sent to 3,000 county households. The results are statistically valid with a confidence level of 95%.